Greensboro Daily Photo

Hunter Elementary: The Old Building

Hunter Elementary School's website provides a very interesting history of the school. We usually write our own verbiage on GDP, but this information is so important, as is:

"Thomas A. Hunter owned the factory located in the neighborhood (the former Cotton Mill Square on the corner of Merritt Drive and Spring Garden Street).  He wanted the best for the children whose parents worked in the mill and saw that a small school was built for them.  Hunter Elementary School, then Pomona Mills School, opened for students in 1929 in the neighborhood that was called Pomona. It was a county school in those days but conveniently accessible by the trolley.  Because of his deep concern for the school, Mr. Hunter was allowed to select the first principal, Mrs. Robert A. (Mabel) Merritt. who became a teaching principal for the school. When the old wooden school was replaced with an updated brick building, Mrs. Merritt requested of the Greensboro City Board of Education that the school’s name be changed to Thomas A. Hunter School to honor the late Mr. Hunter.

Mrs. Merritt served as the principal from 1918-1950, in many cases seeing to her student’s needs by reaching out to her church, West Market United Methodist, to provide clothes during the Depression. Upon her retirement in 1950, the city of Greensboro renamed the road where Hunter Elementary is located to Merritt Drive.  "I want the children around here to have a school as good as any city school. I want them to have good books to study and good books to read for special enjoyment." said Mrs. Merritt.  

Hunter Elementary has gone through many changes and improvements during the past 78 years, but Mrs. Merritt's philosophy still holds true. We do want our children to have a school as good as every other school and we do want our children to have good books for study and enjoyment. However, we want and expect much, much more of and for our students." (reference). Today is ABC Wednesday for for "X" we present the school that has been crossed off the map. See the rest of ABC Wednesday, Greensboro Round 20, here.

W is for Workers

If you follow Greensboro Daily Photo, you know how much construction is taking place in Greensboro these days. Literally, the city is being reinvented before our eyes. Some construction is major, like the Battleground Stamey's BBQ being completely rebuilt. Some construction is more cosmetic. For example, the above photo features the SAPPORO and Jersey Mike's on Battleground in the Earthfare plaza, near the completely new Starbuck's. This sign appears to be a facade attached to the front of the building featuring the above two businesses. 

If you'll notice, there is a man at the top of the building. None of this construction can take place without workers; and, they are everywhere and working very hard. Working today was a bit challenging, if you were still working when the WET WEATHER hit Greensboro. We had a deluge.

Today is ABC Wednesday and, for Round 20, "W" is for "workers. If you see a worker, consider treating him/her a cup of coffee and, at the very least, if they are working hard, thank them. We love the way this cloud hovered behind this worker and actually made his neon shirt stand out.

V is for VF Corporation

VF Corporation is an global apparel and footwear company headquartered in Greensboro. The original company was founded in 1899. VF has over thirty brands. Lee, Wrangler, The North Face, Timberland,  and Vans are some of the brands owned by VF. According to their website, they have a global workforce of more than 60,000 employees. Recently, VF published statement that they disagree with the response of the White House regarding climate change and VF expressed a commitment to limiting emissions and helping mitigate the impacts of climate change.*

Greensboro, with its robust textile industry in the 20th century, was known as the denim capital of the world. Many Greensboro residents associate VF with jeans. We are, after all,  a "jeans" town- even in our public artwork. Some communities have fiberglass pigs, bulls, horses, etc. Greensboro has fiberglass jeans, artfully painted, downtown.

If you are interested, here is a very thorough timeline of the history of VF, where you will learn facts like the fact that VF actually stands for Vanity Fair. Originally located in Pennsylvania, VF relocated to Greensboro in the late 1990's. Above is a photo of their corporate headquarters off of North Elm Street. Below is the sign at the entrance. Today is ABC Wednesday and "V" is for "VF." See our A-U Round 20 lineup, here.

* See the VF website for reference and more information (here). 

U is for Used (Books)

Greensboro has three bookstores that offer used books: Scuppernong on Elm Street; Pages Past on Spring Garden Street; and, Edward McKay on Battleground Avenue (featured above). Like many other brick and mortar businesses, used bookstores have had to either find a niche market or diversify. Scuppernong hosts a lot of community events; Pages Past focuses on rare books; and Edward McKay has DVD's, albums, and buys used textbooks. As people have access to just about anything they want to read via computers and phones and can have Amazon ship items with the click of a button, bookstores need to be destinations and gathering places. Finding a balance between being conducive to hanging out, yet enticing customers to make purchases can be tricky.

Hopefully, these bookstores will remain in Greensboro for a very long time and will depend on the reading habits of this younger generation of digital natives. For those who are committed to reducing waste in the environment, "used" is the new "new", new to the new owner, that is. And, with that trend, books just may be with us for a while longer. If you like to read books on paper, consider stopping by one of our great used bookstores. Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "U" is for "used."

T is for Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesday is a fun excuse to go out to dinner and eat affordably. The above photo was taken at El Azteca Mexican Restaurant at Quaker Village, across from Greensboro College. On Mondays, they have a fish taco special and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, their tacos are $1.50 each. So, if you missed Taco Tuesday yesterday, mark your calendar for Taco Thursday, tomorrow!

The waiters here will entertain you by bringing to your table four or more trays balanced on one arm. El Azteca also has a food truck you can rent out for special events. Mexican restaurants always seem to have a happy, upbeat atmosphere. As an example, the lights and papel picado banners on the ceiling above add to the ambiance.  If El Azteca is not convenient to your neighborhood, not to worry, Greensboro has no shortage of wonderful Mexican Restaurants. Do you have a favorite?

Today is ABC Wednesday, and "T" is for (imagine the ultra staccato sound of the trumpets announcing) "TTTTTT...Taco Tuesday." See the A-R Round 20 entries, here.

S is for Skateboarding

Skateboarding is both sport and hobby that can also be transportation from Point A to Point B. If you are a middle schooler, skateboarding is a great way to pass time- learning tricks, perfecting jumps, and trying those moves in places with signs reading "no skateboarding allowed." The above photo, taken a couple of weeks ago,  features two young skateboarders in a pop-up skate space at the back corner of Four Flocks and Larder on Spring Garden Street.  It seemed like good, clean fun. The above skateboarders were very respectful of pedestrians and stayed well within the confines of their designated space. 

Skateboarding is big business. There are over 11 million skateboarders in the world and the sport will be represented at the 2020 Olympic Games. It is a relatively young sport, with the first makeshift skateboards appearing in the 1940's. Those early skateboards are a lot cruder (boxes with wheels) than the boards the guys are using above. The early skate parks were empty, California swimming pools. Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "S" is for "Skateboarding." To you boarders out there, may your kick flips and pop shove-its be everything you want them to be. Hope to see you in Tokyo!

Revision Vintage

Today, we continue along East Market Street to the Revision Vintage shop of clothing, furniture, jewelry, and oddities. It opened May 5th at 313 East Market Street on the corner at Church Street and directly across from the event space known as the Cadillac Service Garage. The above photo features four of the five young women who own and stock the shop. The great creative team of Kim, Pam, Kristin, Lindsey and Britt (not photographed) grew their brick and mortar business from their pop up stores, realizing how well they worked together and the success of their collective collections.

Revision Vintage is proof positive that Greensboro is slowly expanding eastward. If you want to see for yourself, Revision Vintage is open on Thursday (12-6); Friday & Saturday (12-7); and Sunday (1-5). Additionally, the store offers great First Friday parties and dress up parties for grown ups. You can also make a private appointment on Monday-Wednesday in case you have some special needs like clothing for a theme party, special event attire, or you have vintage items to sell. If you like all things vintage, head over and introduce yourself to the Great Quintet at Revision Vintage, or call them at 336-617-3789.

The photo below features the store's façade. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our Round 20 Series,  "R" is for "Revision Vintage."

Q is for Quaker Village

Quaker Village, a shopping center with a combination of locally owned and chain stores, is conveniently located across from Guilford College on West Friendly Avenue. Quaker Village opened in 1964 and thrived for many years until suffering bankruptcy in 2010. Quaker Village got a facelift in 2014 when a neighborhood Wal-Mart was added and many other changes were made. Based on long lines yesterday, it appears that business in the village is booming. We were there at dinnertime and several of the restaurants had lines out the door. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, Q is for Quaker Village. Since we've featured Quaker Village before, initially, we had planned to feature "Quilting by Linda" at 7349 West Friendly Avenue. The address led us to a business park near the airport, When we arrived in the complex, "Quilting by Linda" was no longer there. One of our previous posts for the "Q" round of ABC Wednesday was Dennis Quaintance; lucky for Greensboro, he is still here! We haven't featured Mr. Quaintance for six years. If we start planning now, maybe we can interview him for the next round. We also hope to meet the barbers at QV barber and style. It is nice to keep the ideas flowing. And, if you ever have ideas, please share! After all, you're the reason we are here.

P is for People

The friendly, positive people of Greensboro are the reason we have maintained this daily photo site for over eight years. Last month, when we were on a photo shoot, walking along West Market Street and Elam, the passengers in an Accura sedan, stopped at a red light, rolled down the window and said, "Photograph us!" There are two kinds of people, those who hide from cameras and those who see out opportunities to get their pictures taken. The people in this car were in the latter category. They seemed so joyful and loving life that they wanted to share their smiles with the world. Their smiles were so perfect and heartfelt. We only had time to get the one photo of the couple, when the light changed and off they drove.

Today for ABC Wednesday, the letter is "P" and for our Round 20 Series, "P" is for "People," the people of Greensboro- not only the people in the above car, but you, too, dear readers!

O is for Outfield

Baseball season is upon us and, in Greensboro, there are opportunities to play and watch baseball at just about every level and for every age group. Pre-collegiate players have opportunties ranging from rec ball to more intense AAU ball. Greensboro is home to the minor league baseball team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. High Point could also be getting a minor league ball team for their proposed downtown stadium. Also, the local high schools have baseball teams, as do all of the local institutions of higher education. Literally, you can find baseball diamonds in every end of the county. The above photo was taken at an April 8th home game for the UNCG Spartans and features Spartan player Justin Embler (#8) safely sliding into 3rd base. The Spartans won that day against Furman. 

If you are looking for affordable summer fun, baseball game entrance tickets are very reasonably priced. The Grasshoppers have theme days, frequent fireworks displays, and plenty for young children to do if they tire of sitting in their seats. Today is ABC Wednesday and for "O" on our Round 20 Series, "O" is for "outfield."  To all the left, center, and right fielders (positions 7, 8, 9 respectively) in the outfield, today, we salute YOU and may all those fly balls land in your glove!

N is for Neighborhood

Greensboro neighborhoods have very distinct personalities. Sunset Hills is known for their location, convenient to Friendly Center and to downtown, and their lighted chicken wire decorations at Christmas. The above photo features the oldest house in Sunset Hills, located at 2702 West Market Street. This two-story home, in the Colonial Revival style, was built in 1895 and was relocated to the present lot in the early 1930s.

According to their National Register of Historic Homes application, the Sunset Hills neighborhood comprises 280 acres west of downtown Greensboro. It was developed in the 1920s, so having a house from the 19th century is unusual. The giant magnolia trees on either side of the lot hide the home from the street on this heavily-traveled section of West Market Street. The owners, who are only second owners since 1977, probably like the protection from road noise; however, it would be nice to be able to see more of their historic home. You can actually get a better look of the 3,000+ sq. ft. structure from the Elam Street side.

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for Round 20, "N" is for "Neighborhood, " specifically, the Sunset Hills neighborhood which, in addition to the Christmas ball decorations, is known for having neighborly neighbors who are frequently out walking along the tree-lined sidewalks.

M is for McGee Street

The above photo was taken on McGee Street, just off Hamburger Square, in downtown Greensboro. The statue is of General Nathanael Greene, the Revolutionary War General for whom Greensboro is named. (The statue itself  is actually located in the center of the round-about at Keith Holliday Circle). On days with beautiful sunsets, this view from West McGee Street is most spectacular. General Greene eternally stands guard over our fair city, as if protecting us. The bronze statue on a granite base was made by sculptor James Barnhill and dedicated in 2008. It was sponsored by the Bryan Foundation. Read more about the statue on this thorough page. 

While the General Greene is stealing the show, today's focus is McGee Street, a street that ribbons through Greensboro from just past Natty Greene's Restaurant on the east side to Edgar Street in College Hill in the west. It is a street full of life, evident from the patio of Natty Greene's or at the outside seating of M'Coul's Public House at 110 W. McGee.

Today is ABC Wednesday and M is for McGee Street. See our ABC Wednesday, Round 20 A-L entries here. In the meantime, consider walking the length of McGee Street!

 

L is for Lake

Some cities are built around rivers. Greensboro doesn't have a river, but we do have some lovely lakes. Hamilton Lakes is the name of a local community that is now part of the city of Greensboro. According to the city's website, the Hamilton Lakes neighborhood has over sixty acres of recreational opportunities. There are trails, natural wooded areas, a stream, a playground, and limited access lakes.

If you know the bodies of water in the neighborhood, you will have seen the mated pair of swans. The above photo features Mr. Swan who is dutifully patrolling the shoreline guarding his partner and their egg. She diligently sits on the egg, perched on their throne-like nest. He glides back and forth, ever willing to flap his wings and use his forceful beak on anybody who gets too close. Hats off to him. It will be lovely to see the swan family swimming around together this spring. When we do, we will snap a photo and appropriately title it "Swan Lake." For now, we'll respect their privacy and hope that the egg makes it to term.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "L" is for "Lake" (Swan Lake).  See A-K, here!

K is for Kernodle (Middle School)

Kernodle Middle School, located at 3600 Drawbridge Parkway, opened on August 21st, 2000. It is located between Carolyn S. Allen Community Park and Well Spring Retirement Community.  The school was named for John R. Kernodle, Jr., a native of Burlington, NC and an exemplary citizen in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. He was a lawyer and theologian who served many civic positions, including serving as Chairman of the Eastern Music Festival and Chairperson of the Guilford County Board of Education.* This personable man was known for his commitment to social justice and for having a "wide smile and welcoming personality." He died in 1995 when he was only 50 years old as a result of being hit by a car in Atlanta.

Kernodle Middle School is well-loved by its stakeholders and were Mr. Kernodle alive today, he would be proud of the hard work on the part of students, teachers, and staff at his namesake school. In 1973, Ethel Stephens Arnett published a book, For Whom Our Public Schools Were Named, Greensboro, North Carolina. After 44 years and many new schools, we say it is high time for a new volume. To be sure, Mr. Kernodle would merit an entry.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "K" is for "Kernodle" (the school and the man). See ABC Wednesday posts around the world, here; and Greensboro Daily Photo's A-J, Round 20, entries, here.

 *reference and more information about Mr. Kernodle, here.

 

J is for Jewish Federation

The Greensboro Jewish Federation building is located at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Dolley Madison Road. The Federation has two constituent agencies, The Jewish Foundation of Greensboro and Jewish Family Services. As stated on their website, the "Federation has been supporting, sustaining and revitalizing Jewish life for nearly a century." They provide many important services to the local Jewish community. Their assistance extends to financial, emotional, physical and spiritual support. Their website alone is a wealth of information related to issues important to the Jewish community. From seeking grants and scholarships for travel to Israel to attending Jewish overnight camps locally, the website of the Greensboro Jewish Federation is a good place to start. The Federation also offers plenty of opportunities to volunteer and provide financial donations to support their efforts.

Since the 1800's, Greensboro's Jewish community has played a leadership role in many facets of life here. Moses and Ceasar Cone arrived in Greensboro, at the end of the 19th century.  The Cone family name became associated with textile industrialism, conservation, and philanthropy. Moses Cone convinced another pair of Jewish brothers, the Sternbergers, to move to Greensboro, in part because of the acceptance he felt by the Greensboro community. Greensboro's early Jewish families, like the above Federation, are at the root of Jewish life in Greensboro.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and J is for Jewish Federation. See our A-I entries, here. See a close-up view of the tree of life/ Star of David decoration on the building's facade, below.

 

*reference and more information, here.    

I is for International Women's Day

Today is the 106th year of International Women's Day. To quote the campaign's website, "March 8th is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity." Local initiatives in North Carolina include encouraging women to campaign for advancement and to stay home from work today to heighten awareness of how much women contribute to the workforce. At least one school district in North Carolina is closed today because of concern about not finding sufficient substitute teachers. The irony is that today is also the annual statewide tornado drill day. With or without their female teachers, at 9:30 a.m., all students in the State will move to safe shelter and assume the crouched, facing-the-wall position. 

On another note, today's photo is a poster at the city parking deck on Bellemeade and Elm Streets. It features Prlyanka Ruparella, a Ph.D. student at Greensboro's Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. According to the school's website, out of fourteen full-time faculty, one nano science faculty is a female and one nano engineering faculty is a female. Let's hope that more women, like the one featured on the poster, decide to pursue these specialized science fields. To be sure, it is hard work. To be sure, women deserve equal pay for equal work. 

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for Round 20, "I" is for "International Women's Day", which has been celebrated in the USA only since 1975. In Cuba, Madagascar, and Uzbekistan, it is an official holiday. Here's to crouching and facing the wall at 9:30 and standing up and cheering at noon!

H is for Heart

This past Saturday,  Allen-Tate Realtors gathered at their office on Green Valley Road to sew for the Scarves 4 Warmth Project. The workday was sponsored by Realtor Kelly Creed. Many of her Allen-Tate colleagues filled their training room to make scarves that will be donated to people in need of a little warmth. The bright, cheerful scarves, often with hearts and crosses sewn on them, send a message that even though you are down on your luck, you can know that an assembly-line of people is behind the scenes supporting you. 

Standing in the back is Bobby Craddock, the project's founder. If you would like to volunteer with the Scarves for Warmth Project or schedule a workshop, email Bobby at [email protected]. We have the feeling this project is the start of something even bigger. Finally, we'd like to send a big thank you to the Green Valley, Allen-Tate crew. They made some beautiful scarves.

Today is ABC Wednesday and we're sharing "H" is for "Heart" as part of the Round 20 series.

G Is For Greensboro

A proper entrance has a way of defining a space. In homes, it is known as curb appeal, that all-important first impression. In retail, the entrance is the first chance the business has to win over the customer; in restaurants, especially, it can determine if the diners will stay or leave. Cities can make first impressions, too. The above brick sign, located on Battleground Avenue at Westridge and Old Battleground, announces a driver's arrival into Greensboro.

This part of Greensboro, near Guilford Military Park, experienced tremendous construction in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was annexed in 1984.* We're betting the sign was constructed during that time. At any rate, it announces Greensboro in a part of town that has long been south of the city's actual northern limits. If you picked a new sign for a city today, what it would it look like? Perhaps it would be a vinyl banner in INTRO RUST or Sofia Pro font. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and in Greensboro, options abound for the letter "G".  For Round 20, "G" is for Greensboro!

* reference and interesting document, here.

F is for Florist

Valentine's Day is one of busiest days of the year at Scruggs Florist, located on Lawndale Avenue in Irving Park. The above photo shows one of the many stunning arrangements that flew out the door yesterday. The Scruggs family opened the shop in 1952. Today, Martha and Robert Scruggs run the business that Mr. Scruggs mother started sixty-five years ago.

The photo below features Mr. Scruggs who took the time to talk to us while his wife and employees attended to the flood of orders. Mr. Scruggs graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (now Grimeley). He studied textiles at N.C. State University and went on to work at Cone Mills for 40 years; making the floral industry his second career. If you want to get a feel for the genteel mannerisms of Old Greensboro and talk to someone who has watched Greensboro and the textile and floral industries  change over the decades, head to Scruggs Florist and talk to the owners.

The variety of petals seen below on the workroom floor provides insight into the lively bouquets assembled on Valentine's Day. Mr. and Mrs. Scruggs and employees, if you read this post, please know we are applauding you for your calm, professional demeanor as you assisted those who waited until the last minute to seek your services.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "F" is for florist. See our Round 20, A-E featured posts, here. 

 

E is for Elam

Elam Avenue runs through the heart of Lindley Park. The above photo features the Corner Farmers Market at the corner of Elam and Walker Avenue. What started as a small effort has evolved into a weekly farmers market that has been tremendous for community building. Neighbors gather, people jumpstart their dreams by selling produce, soap, baked goods, or anything else that has the potential to transform from a cottage industry into big business. This regional market sells local produce and products from 8:00 am until noon. Noon is about the time the parking lot needs to be used by the adjacent businesses, especially Sticks and Stones.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, E is for Elam. Farmers Markets are starting to pop up all over Greensboro. This one on Elam, however, can't be beat. It is a great way to buy local while getting out to socialize with neighbors.

 

D is for Downtown on February First

February 1st is a big day for Greensboro. February 1, 1960 at 4:30 p.m., four African-American college students attending NC A&T University, sat down at the above Woolworth Store at the "whites-only" lunch counter insisting on being served a cup of coffee. The students remained at the lunch counter, a form of non-violent protest, until the store closed that evening. These sit-ins continued and grew in participation, building momentum for the Civil Rights Movement.

The above photo was taken on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday at "ground zero" for the Greensboro Sit-Ins. These children were downtown with their father spending the day learning about Civil Rights and skipping along West February 1.  The building is no longer Woolworth Co, but the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (IRCM).

The February theme for the City Daily Photo Community is "Loving Life". We will share this photo with the CDP Community because these three, happy children exemplify "Loving Life." Today also happens to be ABC Wednesday and "D" is for "Downtown", a fabulous place for teaching children about our city and its history. If you are interested in helping to support Greensboro civil rights history, the ICRM is holding a fundraiser today to help fund field trips for children 336-274-9199. For the price of a designer cup of coffee, you can help a child learn about civil rights.

C is for Coliseum Complex... and Champions!

The above photo features the part of the Coliseum Complex that leads to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hall of Champions. The Hall of Champions opened March 2, 2011. It is hard to believe that it has been in Greensboro almost six years. The display features the history of the conference as well as its long relationship to North Carolina. The ACC is an American collegiate athletic conference and it sponsors competition in twenty-five sports. In 1953, the ACC was founded in Guilford County, in Sedgefield. If you like college athletics and are local, you owe it to yourself to spend some time at this facility.

In the above photo, a dad explains some sports concepts to his small children as they listen intently. The children were so well behaved and engrossed in the conversation. Whether he was ever an ACC athlete or not, in the minds of his children, this dad is a true champion. With so much negative press these days, the scene reminds us there is good in humanity and it starts at home.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for Round 20, "C" is for "coliseum" and "champion."

B is for Barns

The Greensboro area still has many structures from the last century, reminding us of our rural roots. The above photo of a tobacco barn was taken on Highway 220 North, north of Greensboro and near Stokesdale. It is a fairly typical tobacco barn, about 20' x 20' square, with a tin roof and built of hewn logs and mortar. In the 1950's, there were half a million in this area, which was part of  the tobacco belt. Growing tobacco was one of North Carolina's primary crops. You may remember names like Winston, Salem, Lucky Strike, and Kool. Those were some of our local tobacco products. They all got there start in a barn similar to the one in the above photo.

Today, tobacco growing has decreased and only an estimated 50,000 tobacco barns remain in North Carolina.* The exterior view of the above tobacco barn appears to be in pretty good shape. It will be interesting to see if it gets restored or if it falls in the hands of crafters who will dismantle it for the wood. It is doubtful that it is still used for tobacco. It sure evokes nostalgia for yesteryear. Do you have any memories of curing tobacco or working in the barns?

Today is ABC Wednesday and for ABC Round 20, their final round, B is for Barn, specifically Tobacco Barns.

* reference and more information.

A is for Audree

LuLaRoe Audree Hatchett is one of the most upbeat and positive people you will meet. She always has a smile on her face and treats everyone with dignity and respect. Audree signed on as a LuLaRoe consultant in December.  LuLaRoe is known for their soft leggings, but they have other items too- like the elegant outfit Audree is wearing. A mother of three, Audree is so excited to be the new owner of a home-based business. Audree lives in Greensboro and enjoys meeting clients in person, but also loves her on-line customers. In this Internet era, entrepreneurs like Audree can realize the dream of owning and managing a business online. She also does in-home pop-ups and live sales on Facebook.  

We love to feature Greensboro's newest entrepreneurs, whether they have brick and mortar operations or online stores. Join Audree's Facebook group (here) e-mail her at [email protected] if you want to shop with her.

Today starts a new round of ABC Wednesday and, we're kicking it off with "A" for LuLaRoe Audree Hatchett! For this round of ABC Wednesday, we're not committing to a theme, but we're thinking we'd like to feature people. With your help, we might be able to do so. If you know of someone positive, upbeat, and encouraging in Greensboro, let us know and we'll do our best to feature them. We've still got B-Z available!

 

Z is for Zinc Kings

The Zinc Kings are an old-time band from right here in Greensboro, North Carolina. They met in 2008 in a music class at UNCG in a class called the Old Time Ensemble, led by Revell Carr. By 2010, Christen Blanton Mack, Dan Clouse, Mark Dillon, and Ryan Mack formalized their relationship and became a band.* Along the way, Christen and Ryan married; falling in love not only with old time music and with the Zinc Kings Band, but also with each other.

These extremely versatile and talented musicians can play bluegrass, jazz, and just about any sound you might need for a festive occasion. In the above photo, they were playing on December 20th at the Piedmont Old Time Society Presents series, held each Tuesday at Joymonger's Brewery Company on North Eugene Street. The Zinc Kings have quite a following and when they play, the old-time community comes out to support them. It was such a treat to listen to their music and we knew right away we would close out our A-Z Alphabet Series for ABC Wednesday with "Z" for Zinc Kings!

*Reference, and more information, here.

X is for the Xtra Ingredient during Xmas

The Extra Ingredient has been a Friendly Center institution since Art and Martha Nading opened it in 1985. The two of them work so hard to keep their store filled with all of the kitchen and tabletop items that you need to make your house a home. We stopped in today and marveled at how hard Art and Martha were working to help customers find just the perfect gifts. 

The above photo features the display of Christmas plates in the front of the store. Santa would be mighty happy to find cookies on one of these fine plates and platters. As always, shoppers had fresh coffee waiting for them, too. Nothing beats a store with a local proprietor on site. This store is so pretty, yet full of functional items for the house. Today is "X" Day on ABC Wednesday and, for our Alphabet Series,  we're saying that "X" is for The X-tra Ingredient, especially at Xmas!

W is for Wendover

Those of you who read Greensboro Daily Photo know that we try really hard to support locally-owned businesses. Today took us to West Wendover Avenue which is the super busy land of retail franchises. Wendover is Greensboro's major east/west street, connected to the interstates (I- 40, 73, 85) and main US highways (US220, 29, 421 & 70). It is hard to believe that Wendover was once  a small, sleepy road until it was widened in 1971 and paved in 1973. In 1972, car dealer Dean Green started buying land there for a car dealership, starting the wave of auto dealers who continue to dominate West Wendover today.

The above photo reflects the intensity of a trip down Wendover near the I-40 interchange. Driving defensively and allowing just enough stopping distance to be safe, yet not so much that people zip in front of you, seems to be the secret to having a save trip here. Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our A-Z Alphabet Series, "W" is for Wendover.* What are your thoughts about driving on busy roads with seemingly unlimited access to shopping the big box stores?

* See reference and more information about Wendover Avenue, here.

V is for the Vernon Building

The Vernon Building, built in 1883, is the oldest building remaining in the Old Greensborough Historic District. Located at the northwest corner of West Washington and South Elm Street, the Italianate building has been beautifully restored. While the first owner was actually Will Armfield, when the Vernon family purchased it in 1887, they added their name to the top of the building (see below). In addition to a street-level, retail floor and two floors of apartments, there is a penthouse on the fourth floor. 

The Vernon Building has had an array of businesses like the Vanstory Clothing Company in the early 1900s and the W.T. Grant Company in the 1970s. The Liberty Oak Restaurant has occupied part of the building since 1999, leaving Irving Park Plaza where it had been since 1980. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our 2016 Alphabet Round, "V" is for Vernon- and Vanstory.

 

U is for Urban Grinders

Greensboro has a relatively new coffee shop in the 200 block of North Elm Street, just down from Center City Park. It is called Urban Grinders. In the building that was formerly Bryson's jewelers, Urban Grinders bills itself as an art gallery inside of a coffee shop. They support local artists, feature arts events, and even have a time on Wednesday evening event that is an opportunity to create and caffeinate. Artists gather to create art and to inspire each other. Their coffee is from Krankie's in Winston-Salem and baked goods are from local bakers. They have been open since 2015 and the owners have invested quite a bit of time and money into making their coffee shop an inviting space. They are working hard to encourage people to stop at this "uptown" spot.

With this Friday, December 2nd,  being First Friday and the Festival of Lights, we hope Urban Grinders is open and people will stop in as they are strolling along Elm Street from Center City Park to the events closer to Hamburger Square. If you like good coffee, good art and an environment that inspires, you will enjoy this coffee shop. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Alphabet 2016 series, "U" is for "urban," specifically, Urban Grinders! Doesn't their window remind you that it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas? Wait until First Friday!

T is for Thanks

Today we would like to give thanks to all of our readers and friends who have encouraged us to continue Greensboro Daily Photo over the last nearly-eight years. For our ABC Wednesday series, we asked for suggestions for today's letter "T". Well, as mother time would have it, we weren't able to get out and photograph this week. Perhaps it is for the best, because it would have been nearly impossible to have selected one "T"  over the other. Here were the suggestions, the TANK Farm for oil products out by the airport; Temple Emanuel; Triad Behavioral Resources; Toys and Company; Table 16; Tessa Restaurant; Triad Meat Company; Tea Time Lounge; Tate Street Coffee House; Triad Auto Specialty; Triad Local First; Triad Yoga Institute; Taste of Ethiopia; Total Wine; Triad Beat Paper; Tumblebees Gymnasium; T Mobile; Traveled Farmer Restaurant; and Tasting Room. Is that not a fabulous array of options? Thank you, Jane, Lynn, Bobby, Nanny, Megan, Bigi, Amy, Cynthia and Katja for sharing suggestions. We hope we thanked everybody and named each suggestion; we love them all.

We want to point out a special business (suggested twice), Triad Auto Specialty, Inc. out on Cessna Drive. They have been known for being caring, competent, and trustworthy crew since opening in 1978. This business is so appreciative of customers that they even sent flowers to a longtime customer when she was in the hospital this past month. Indeed, Greensboro is lucky to have people like the folks at Triad Auto Specialty. So, for ABC Wednesday, our waning leaf photo on TREES around TOWN, represents the THANKS that we want to give all of you for making our effort on this community blog all worthwhile. (See our A-S entries, here).

S is for Southern

J. Douglas Gaylon Depot was originally built in 1927 and was known as the Greensboro Southern Railway Depot. The remnants of the original Southern Railway Depot can still be seen on South Elm Street. However, the above station is located on East Washington Street. While Southern Railway gave up service in 1979, the station was reopened to the public in 2005. At present, Amtrak trains use the station, as do Greensboro and intercity busses.* The above mural, being admired by three visitors, features the railway's service area from back in the 1920s.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Alphabet "S" entry, "S" is for Southern. We love the "SR" at the railway station reminding us that "The Southern serves the south."  We also like the one with patina on the manhole cover just down the street from the train station. If you haven't visited this station, it is worth stopping by to enjoy this piece of Greensboro's transportation history. 

*reference, here.

R is for Replacements

Replacements is a homegrown business in Greensboro. They are the world's largest retailer of dishes, china, and sterling flatware. Located on Knox Rd. in McLeansville, Replacements can be seen easily from the interstate just east of Greensboro. Bob Page opened the business in 1981. He left his job as auditor in North Carolina to pursue his dream of starting a mail order business out of his small attic on North Elm Street in Greensboro. Today, the multi-million dollar business and, if we read Wikipedia correctly, after several expansions of their warehouse and consolidating all of their locations, the Knox Road location has a million square feet.*

In 1986, Replacements was identified as one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. Even Oprah Winfrey and the Vatican have shopped here! Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Alphabet series, "R" is for Replacements- an appropriate word for the day after a presidential election. 

* reference.

Q is for Quaker Village

Quaker Village is owned by Ashton Properties in Charlotte. They have worked hard to update the property and bring in new tenants like the Wal-Mart neighborhood store. They have also renovated 44,000 sq. ft. of small shops, expanding the Quaker Village footprint. Quaker Village opened in 1964 and suffered bankruptcy in 2010. It looks as if they are recovering nicely. We sure hope, so as it is nice to see places that have been around for over fifty years get updated, as needed, and continue to thrive.

The QV strip mall is very convenient to people living off West Friendly Avenue and the New Garden/College Road area. There are stores like Starbucks and Menchie's Frozen Yogurt that encourage people to linger and socialize. There are plenty of restaurant options from Mexican, Taquería El Azteca, to Italian at Elizabeth's Pizza. There are other shops like Quaker Village Barber and Style Shop that have a good reputation for keeping clients happy through the generations.  With Guilford College just across the street, students are able to enjoy time off-campus even if they don't have a vehicle.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Alphabet round, "Q" is for "Quaker Village".  See A-P, here.

 

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas is a natural gas distributor serving North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. They get their gas primarily from the the Gulf Coast in the United States. The company began operation in 1951 in New York and merged with a North Carolina Company, coming here in 1994. At the beginning of the month, they were acquired by Duke Energy (October 3rd 2016). Between Piedmont's 1 million customers and Duke Energy's 8 million customers, the combined operation is serving about 9 million people. That is a lot of revenue from natural gas and electricity. As seen in the above sign at the facility on Greengate Drive, the cost of natural gas is currently 1.36 per unit. The gated corporate building is tucked between Randalman Road and South Elm-Eugene Street, off Corliss Drive.

Piedmont Natural Gas won a platinum award fitness award from the National Heart Association for the last five years. They earned this designation for their healthy work environment. Let's hope the fit-friendly trend continues now that they are part of an even bigger company. The above pole with the rectangular top, to the right of the company sign, is a solar panel. It looks like the company is energy efficient, too. If you really want to get to know Greensboro, we suggest you explore some of these off-the-beaten-path places. Thanks to ABC Wednesday, which motivates us to explore the A-Zs of our city, we get to see so many interesting businesses, places, people and venues in Greensboro. Today is ABC Wednesday and "P" is for Piedmont (our region between the mountains and the coast) and for Piedmont Natural Gas. If you want to look back on the A-O entries for our 2016 Alphabet series, see, here.

 

O is for Olive Oil

Fall 2011, Midtown Olive Oil opened in Greensboro at Friendly Center. They sell a variety of handcrafted, small batch, balsamic vinegars and olive oils from around the world. The extra virgin olive oils are crushed at precisely the right time so they won' be too bitter, nor too acidic. In the above photo, Julie is sealing bottles so the oil and vinegar will stay fresh and won't spill. If you haven't been to Midtown Olive Oil before, Julie and Kathy (not photographed) will walk you through the flavors and suggested pairings. Some oils, like the French Roasted Walnut, have quite a history. It is made from a method that is over 150 years old. The citrusy Eureka Lemon is produced by pressing whole lemons and olives together. The balsamic vinegars are equally interesting. Some contain fruits, others have combinations of savory spice flavors. These flavors that can turn a simple bag of greens into a gourmet salad. 

Today, we're thankful for ABC Wednesday, because the meme inspires us to learn the A-Z details of Greensboro. While we didn't find a giant "O"for our A-Z 2016 Alphabet Series, we did find the lovely cursive one (below) at Midtown Olive Oil. We learned from our visit that a good balsamic vinegar, mixed with a splash of olive oil, is about as good as it gets for salad dressing. 

N is for News

This very beautiful and creative bench is located in front of the News and Record Office at East Market Street. It is made of bronze and the sheets of metal represent different iterations of the newspapers in Greensboro over the years: Greensboro Record, News & Record, The Daily Record, Greensboro Daily News, The Greensboro Daily Record, and the Greensboro News and Record. Actual front pages of the newspaper are accurately engraved on the sheets, sight down to the date the event happened in what appears to be a 16-font. There is so much detail. The 7' x 10' x 4' bench was made in 2004 by Jim Gallucci, whose work can be seen all over town; from the airport to his workspace in south Greensboro, and beyond.

In trying to learn about the history of newspapers in Greensboro, we came across a digital collection that UNCG makes available online. It features Greensboro newspapers published between 1826 and 1946- 120 years of news in a format for all to access.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our 2016 Alphabet Series, "N" is for News (& Record). We would like to thank our dear friend and faithful reader, Jane Mitchell, for agreeing to pose on the bench. It looks so much better when it is being enjoyed.

*See the digital newspaper collection, here.  See more on News & Record, North Carolina's third largest newspaper, here, and more about Jim Gallucci, here and another view of the benches, here. Click on the thumbnail below to get a better idea of the detail.

M is for Mack & Mack

Today is "M" Day on ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Alphabet Series 2016, we again feature Mack and Mack. They are a local business owned and operated by local people, collaborating to serve the Greensboro community as much as possible. In the above window at Mack and Mack, they are featuring scarves made by Artist Hollis Gabriel and Fabric Printer Anne Schroth and Buddhist Temple Ladies who hem the scarves. The clothing is handmade at Mack and Mack's shop. Local, collaborative, small business is so popular in the 21st century and a great way to remain connected to the community. 

Robin Mack Davis founded Mack and Mack in 1995. She loves to help customers put together just the right outfit for any given event. If you don't see what you want, with enough lead time, Robin could probably make it for you. Currently, they are having a great sale. Designer clothing, from fabric designed and printed by local artists, is more affordable than you think! Below, see a photo from Robin when we interviewed her and the "M" from the shop window for the  alphabet series!                 

L is for Lucky 32

Lucky 32 is a restaurant on Westover Terrace that likes to offer local produce, seasonal food, and live, local music. Wes Collins and Angela Easterling, two very talented singer-songwriters, were playing at Lucky 32 last night as part of their Tuesday "Songs from a Southern Kitchen" series. They were personable, talented musicians and the crowd seemed to enjoy them. If you missed their show at Lucky 32,  Angela will be playing at the "Tunes at Noon" series, today in LeBauer Park, and then she is headed back to her home state of South Carolina.

We need to return to Lucky 32 soon, because today, the seasonal section of the menu changes over to the fall selections. If previous years are any indication, the fall menu will be full of rich autumn flavors and slightly heavier than their summer menu. 

As seen below, Lucky 32 has a mural of art depicting scenes of Greensboro. If you are local, you will appreciate their drawing of a square hamburger. They also sell locally sourced fresh veggies and homemade sauces. You can go to Lucky 32 strictly for the meal, or you can seek out all of the restaurant's nods to the local community.  Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our Greensboro Alphabet Series 2016, "L" is for Lucky and, indeed, we are lucky to have a Lucky 32 Restaurant in our community. 

 

K is for K&W Cafeteria

K&W Cafeteria has been a Greensboro institution for decades. Both the South Holden Road and the Northline Drive locations have many regular customers who get the same items every time they eat there. The above photo features the early part of the food line at the Northline Drive location which moves along from salads, meats/entree foods, vegetables, desserts, and breads to beverages. It is easy to fill a tray with salads and a hearty portions of meat, get a few vegetables, and realize by the end of the line that there is no way you'll have room for dessert. 

K&W has its roots in Winston-Salem, where, in 1935,  Grady Allred, Sr. went to work in a coffee shop owned by T.K. Knight and three Wilson brothers. Soon, the name of the shop was changed to K&W. Eventually Allred bought out Knight and the Wilsons and became sole owner. He opened a High Point location and stumbled on the idea for a cafeteria when rebuilding after a fire in 1952. The Northline Drive location opened in 1976, forty years ago. 

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z 2016 Alphabet Series, "K" is for K&W Cafeteria. Just seeing a photo of the food line is making us hungry. If you are in the mood for good southern cooking-- everything from fried chicken livers to turnip greens to sweet tea to homemade pies and cakes-- K&W is a good choice.  

Jae-Mar

Jae-Mar Brass and Lamp Company is located at 102 Barnhardt Street, at the railroad tracks just off of South Elm Street. This local company has been in business since 1983. They repair, clean, and refinish brass pieces and rewire lamps. Jar-Mar is one of those businesses that thrives by word-of-mouth. People come from throughout the State to this unique shop with the low Internet profile. They also have been around long enough to witness the drying up and resurgence of small, privately-owned specialty businesses.

Since Jae-Mar has been in their current location, they have seen Barnhardt Street improve tremendously, getting many new businesses and a big parking lot connecting Lewis Street. This new development has brought considerable foot traffic to the area. If you peek in the window, the owners, the Forsters seem to be hard at work. If you know how they got their name, please let us know. We forgot to ask last time we used their services. Maybe O. Henry Magazine or some other form of local media will do a segment on this homegrown business.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our ABC Alphabet Series, "J" is for Jae-Mar.